Infant Seats, Car Seats, Booster Seats and Seat Belts

By now, every parent knows the importance of properly restraining adults and children in a motor vehicle. However I see many parents losing sight of what's really important as they rush to move their kids to the next level of motor vehicle restraint, i.e. infant seat, car/convertible seat, booster seat, or nothing at all. Parents should move their child up to the next level of restraint as late as possible--not as soon as they reach the next legal minimum!

Infants, for example, should be in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least one year of age and 20 pounds. The key words are "at least". This is a minimum standard and does not mean it is a good idea to turn them forward-facing as soon as they turn one! Your child is still much safer staying rear-facing to allow their bodies to further develop and strengthen.

Likewise, a child can legally (in most states) ride in a car without a booster seat once they are 4 ft. 9 in. (57") tall and 8 years of age but that doesn't make it smart to do it when they reach that height, weight or age. Remember that seat belts in modern motor vehicles are designed and optimized for a typical American adult weighing between something like 102-215 lbs. So ask yourself this question: Is your child closer to a small adult of say 5 ft. 4 " (64") and 102 lbs, or are they closer to 4 ft. 9 in. (57") tall and 60 lbs? If the latter, then they should stay in that booster seat!

In determining what is best for your child, don't let state or federal laws drive your decision-making--they represent the bare minimums for dumb-dumb parents who don't otherwise want to think about child safety. And don't let peer pressure or the kids themselves make these decisions for you--your child's life may depend on it!

And finally, remember, regardless of age, height, weight or the restraint method, a few general safety principles always apply:

1. The back seat is always safer than the front.
2. The middle of the rear is safer than the rear sides.
3. Facing rearward is safer than facing forward.
4. Seat belts should fit properly (over the shoulder and not the neck, and around the hip bones).

For more information, see the AAP's car safety page.